The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on criminal elements in the Calabar–Oron channel, launching a coordinated offensive against militants and kidnappers in Cross River State.
Details of the operation were disclosed in a statement by the Navy’s Director of Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, who said the mission was carried out by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory alongside personnel from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka.
The operation specifically targeted Dayspring Island, an area identified as a hotspot for kidnappings and related criminal activities in recent times.
According to the statement, the offensive resulted in the destruction of a hideout linked to a long-wanted militant leader known as “Juju,” dealing a significant blow to criminal networks operating in the region.
“Exploitation of the area led to the discovery and destruction of a militant hideout linked to a notorious suspect known as ‘Juju’ in the Idung axis,” he said.
Folorunsho further explained that the success of the operation was reinforced by the establishment of a forward security outpost at Idung 1 (Peacock Crossing), which now serves as a strategic base for troops to monitor and control surrounding creeks and waterways.
Naval personnel, working in collaboration with troops from the Nigerian Army 13 Brigade, were able to force suspected militants to abandon their camps, while securing key routes and restricting the movement of criminal elements.
